Keeper strategies

Yes, there is more than fine acting you can learn from Ice Cube – or O’shea Jackson as friends know him as. For many managers in keeper leagues, this is is the time one must check themselves, or, as the story goes, one may wreck themselves.

That is, you can admit it if you’re out of contention for the year. The worst thing a manager can do is lie to themselves and chase the unachievable. If you do, you could miss out on sculpting a dynasty.

If you’re out of it this is the time to have a fire sale.

I’m not talking about trading Manny + Randy Winn for Soriano. No no no. I’m saying sell the farm if you need to in order to get a core for your team. But whatever you do make sure you are left with solid keepers not 5 good one and 1 that stinks. I’d rather have 4 good ones and 2 that are decent.

Take this offer for example:

In one of my leagues this is a trade that has been kicked around:

Team A, who is trying to win it all, may trade Jimmy Rollins

Team B, who is in rebuilding mode, will trade back Cliff Lee, Halladay, Manny and Pierre.

Of course this is unbalanced for this year, but team B could only keep one of the 4 guys he is giving up…and if you could only have one of the follow who would you want? Rollins, Cliff Lee, Halladay, Manny or Pierre? Ten times out of 10 it’s Jimmy Rollins.

Now that’s a fire sale.

And for today’s 3 Strikes:

1. Despite earlier comments, Kerry Wood is going on the DL

2. Masahide Kobayashi is be used carefully down the stretch, he’s pitched just 1 less inning this year than he did all year last year in Japan.

3. Gil Meche shutout the Rays for 7 innings. He’s a guy you should target, his value is far higher than what his numbers appear. Since May 15 he has a 3.23 ERA.